Legends of Terra: The Book, the Blade, and the Bow
by ObsidianFlutes
Summary: Terraria is a land of wonder, magic and promise, but to the evil deity trying to destroy it, it's simply an obstacle. And to the young magicians trying to stop him, it's a land of death...
1. Chapter 1: Nothing But Trouble

Chapter 1: Nothing But Trouble

She stood, motionless, in front of the fire. She had black hair, a white robe, and ghostly ectoplasmic wings, and the fire was making a pillar of lazy purple smoke. Her hands moved in gentle circles as she chanted softly to herself and the smoke churned sluggishly through the night air.

A voice spoke in her mind. _Calythé?_ it said. She opened her blue eyes.

"Ramisse," she grumbled. "You disrupted my focus."

_Do you see anything, Sister?_

"No. Be patient, Ramisse. Scry-smoke takes a long time to work properly." Suddenly she doubled over, her face red. The lazy purple smoke changed color, becoming a solid pillar of verdant green.

_CALYTHÉ?!_ screamed the voice in alarm. The green pillar flashed abruptly, sent out a great wave of light and exploded under Calythé's bare feet.

_Calythé?_ said the voice tentatively.

"Something is definitely happening," she said bitterly, climbing to her feet and brushing away the logs of the now-extinguished fire.

_No duh,_ mumbled the voice as dawn broke upon the forest.

_Meanwhile..._

"No," said Emi firmly.

"Aw, come on, Emi. It'll be fun!" wheedled Ametha, brushing back her purple bangs and picking up her amethyst-topped copper staff. She signaled to Topaz and Saffa, who were standing across the room, and waited for them to signal back.

Emi sighed and picked up her staff. Emi was one of the more powerful members of the Magicians' Guild, but she was one of the shyest and meekest as well. Ametha, however, was the other side of the coin. In Terraria Land, amethyst, topaz, and sapphire-strength magicians made up the bottom tiers of magic, while emerald, ruby, and diamond magicians made up the top. Emi was emerald-strength, so she could have turned Ametha into a slime if she wanted to, but she tended to be bossed around by her more often than not. As a result, they were dueling in the main hall right under Headmistress Embrea's nose.

Ametha crouched into the ready position for dueling, and Emi followed suit. They were about to start firing multicolored energy bolts at each other, when the word "AMETHA!" was heard across the hall. In strode the headmistress, Embrea Holt, both beautiful and terrifying with fire-colored hair cascading down behind her back. And next to her, an angry glare in his one remaining eye, was none other than Thunder Zevulon.

Thunder Zevulon. Legendary diamond-strength magician, assistant to the headmistress, master of air and storm magic. Not to mention the person Emi had a terrible crush on.

Thunder was a strange magician. He had begun training at the Magicians' Guild as a boy. One day he had come back with his right eye mauled and scratched. He had worn an eye patch ever since, and his remaining light gray eye stared fiercely out at the world under a fringe of snow-white hair. Not that Thunder was old. When claimed by a gem strength, a magician's hair and eyes changed to match that of the gem.

Thunder seldom spoke. Rumors circulated that he was mute, but in fact he chose not to speak.

Emi found all of these qualities handsome, and usually was struck mute when he came into the room.

Saffa nudged Emi. "Uh, Emi? Are you okay?"

Emi snapped back into the real world. "Huh?"

"You zoned out for a second," said little Saffa with concern, looking up at her.

"Yeah, Saffa…" said Emi absently, ruffling his dark blue hair and glancing at Thunder one last time. "I'm fine."

Ametha's bare feet pattered through the hallways as she ran, her ponytail streaming behind her like a ribbon of purple satin. "Stupid Emi. I should have strangled her a long time ago," she muttered to herself. She rounded a corner and flattened herself against the wall in the nick of time, just as Embrea and Thunder came into the corridor.

Embrea giggled like a little girl and whispered to Thunder, "Ametha's in trouble again. She's right at the end of the corridor."

They stealthily crept on bare feet to the corner. Embrea, a vision in red, stood up tall and straight and rounded the corner, where Ametha almost screamed.

"AAAHH! Uh- oh, erm, hi, Embrea! Um, you look good," said Ametha lamely. Her violet eyes held an expression of pure panic.

"Where are you going, Ametha?" asked Embrea gently.

"My quarters," Ametha lied.

"Very well. Proceed," said Embrea. Ametha spun on her heel and sped off down the corridor. She wasn't looking where she was going and almost collided with a sudden green person. Emi, looking shocked and pale, her green eyes wide. Then she shrugged and continued walking.

Ametha angrily stared after her, then turned and started down the corridor.

Once Emi was in her room, she put her hands behind her huge green pigtails and pulled out the ties, letting down her long, thick green mane. She set her tungsten staff in the corner and reached for her nightgown in the closet. Ametha peered around the wall into the room. Once she saw Emi, she growled a little.

"WHO'S THERE!" Emi turned around in alarm. Suddenly Ametha realized what she had done and bolted. Unfortunately, she left a single hair behind.

Emi picked up her staff and rushed into the hallway, ready for battle. Then she looked down. There at her feet was a long purple hair.


	2. Chapter 2: Banished!

Chapter 2: Out to the Wild

She crept through the dungeon on stealthy feet, black armor shimmering around her body. One hand lay on the warm hellstone of her bow, the other hand gently tensing the taut red bowstring. Her green eyes, the same color as the dungeon walls, squinted ahead into the darkness. She had long chocolate-brown hair and bright flaming wings, and as she moved noiselessly through the quiet a voice spoke in her head.

_Monavelle?_ it asked. _What are you doing?_

"I'm hunting for Angry Bones!" she squeaked in a too-cheerful voice that belied her dark appearance. "That's okay, right?"

_I'm worried about you, Mona._

"Trust me, Calythé! I'm not a child. I know what I'm doing!" she growled indignantly.

_The last time you said that, you almost lost an eye._

"ALMOST!" Monavelle shouted, dropping her bow.

_We must gather soon, sister,_ said the voice firmly.

"Why?" she inquired, bending to pick up her bow.

_I have deciphered last night's scrying vision. You must come immediately. Use your magic mirror._

"Okey-doke, sissy!" chirped Monavelle, extracting an opaque blue mirror from her pouch.

_Monavelle?_ said Calythé's indignant voice. _Please don't call me that._

Monavelle held up the mirror and allowed mana power to trickle into it. The mirror's surface cleared and there was a blinding flash - and then she was gone.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

"ORDER!"

Little Saffa sauntered in front of the desk and shouted, "Headmistress Embrea Holt, presiding."

"Thank you, Saffa," said Embrea from her high desk. Before her sat Emi and Ametha. "Now, Ametha Royale, you are accused of spying on Emidawn Rose."

"Emidawn?!" questioned Saffa, standing next to Emi's booth.

"It's just a name," Emi muttered defensively.

"I know I'm guilty, Embrea. Do what you will with me," said Ametha truthfully.

"Then I'm going to go decide your punishment," said Embrea, stepping down from the desk.

Ametha hopped down from her booth and trudged over to the other wall. Topaz was waiting for her. She buried her face in his yellow robes as he stroked her hair with one hand. "It'll be alright, sweetie," he promised.

Ametha shifted position. "I sure hope so," she sighed.

Emi and Saffa were watching Ametha and Topaz talk to each other. Green tears welled up in Emi's eyes. "I feel awful, Saffa," she sniffed. "This is all my fault. Ametha hates me now."

"Aw, c'mon, Emi. It was justified. She spied on you," said Saffa, standing up on tiptoe to stroke her back.

Emi burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. "This is all my fault," she sobbed again. Saffa looked up at her, tears welling up in his own dark blue eyes, not sure what to do.

Embrea returned and glided to Ametha's side, looking very much like some sort of flame effigy with her red hair and robes. "Ametha," she said softly, "I have decided your punishment. You will be banished from the Magicians' Guild for a year and a day, and the gem will be removed from your staff." Ametha hung her head, and Topaz drew her close and held her tight.

"Ametha?" asked Embrea quietly. Ametha opened one violet eye and looked at her. "I didn't want to do this," she continued, "but given your past transgressions and your history of troublemaking, it's the best thing I can do. We love you, but we'll have to let you go. Do you understand?"

In response, Ametha tore away from Topaz and fled in the direction of her quarters. Embrea waited, shocked, in the hall, and was even more shocked when Ametha came back holding the copper staff and laid it in Embrea's hands.

"Give the gem to Topaz," she murmured, her voice breaking with sadness, "to… to remember me by." Then she fled down the hall. Two violet tears splattered onto the floorboards in her wake.

Ametha gathered her belongings and went out into the entrance hall. Everyone was waiting in front of the great doors. All of the magicians were holding their staves, and all of them were crying. Saffa and Emi were holding hands, green and blue tears coursing down their cheeks. Embrea had bloodred tracks running down her face. Two golden drops slid off Topaz's chin as he tenderly put the great amethyst in his pocket. Even Thunder was crying; a single pearly white bead leaked from his remaining eye and left a glowing trail across his cheekbone. Ametha picked up the supplies the magicians had left her: a copper axe and pickaxe; some torches; a few potions; her prized grappling hook. Then she opened the doors and stepped out into the wilderness. She walked a few yards, then she stopped, turned, and looked back at the shining, colorful faces she had known all her life and might not see again. She blinked back a few purple tears, willing herself not to cry.

Then she turned back, proudly set her head high and straight and strode out into the forest.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Return of Cthulhu

She padded quietly through the cave. One hand lay on the engraved hilt of the great sword, the other on her flail. Her frozen blue wings protruded out from her curtain of blond hair so pale it was white and her amber brown eyes cast about for the illuminant monsters, glowing pink in the dark Hallow caves. A noise sounded behind her and she unsheathed her huge sword, spun around, sliced the monster in two and re-sheathed the sword in one smooth motion.

_Nice,_ said a voice in her head.

"Monavelle, is that you?" she said absently, readying her flail.

_Yeah, Ramisse, it's me. Listen, Calythé says we should gather. Get out here asap, understand?_

"Kind of busy right now," muttered Ramisse, throwing her flail. It punched a hole in the monster nearest her and then drew back. The monster waddled around, confused.

_Can't your slaughterfest wait?_

Ramisse sighed. "Plantera's Bulb, you're impatient. Is it important?"

_It's extremely important. Calythé figured out what the message said. Get here fast._

"Fine," growled Ramisse, and she engaged her icy wings and flew out of the cave.

Emi was crying.

She had cried a lot over the past few days, though. She had so many tears leaking down her face that her cheeks were stained green. Now she put down her head on the table and wept, her green hair disheveled and tangled and her back heaving convulsively. Topaz and Saffa, on either side of her, gently scooted away. It was lunchtime at the Magicians' Guild and the pumpkin pies and mushroom soup on the table steamed invitingly, but nobody felt like eating. Even Topaz, with his huge appetite, picked halfheartedly at his lunch. No-one was talking; only Emi's sobs broke the silence.

Finally, Embrea sighed and attempted to make conversation. "I heard an interesting bulletin from my correspondent at the Archers' Guild this morning," she said tentatively. "He told me that a number of recruits were found dead in their beds a few days ago. There was one living recruit, but he seemed possessed, muttering about the return of Cthulhu."

Everyone stopped. Even Emi stopped crying and raised her head above the table, green eyes red-rimmed from crying and wide with shock.

"Who's Cthulhu?" asked Saffa innocently.

"Cthulhu is - or rather, was - an evil god," said Embrea gently. "He brought destruction upon Terraria Land in the early days of its creation by appearing in the form of a demonic eye and terrorizing the heroes of the land. Only those with special armor and weapons were able to fight the eye, though there was a bozo named Maxx who fought the eye using a fairy and a bottle of shampoo. Don't even ask."

"So, someone eventually defeated the eye, right?" asked Saffa.

"Right. However, the defeat of his eye only made Cthulhu mad. So he began to appear to the heroes of Terraria Land as a brain as well as an eye. That's when he was exiled," Embrea continued.

"How did he get exiled?" asked Saffa.

"Good question," said Topaz. "You see, Cthulhu's brain and remaining eye were so powerful that only the three most legendary heroines in the whole history of Terraria Land have ever defeated them. You may have heard of Calythé, Ramisse, and Monavelle," he finished.

"The Book, the Blade, and the Bow," breathed Saffa incredulously. "They defeated the eye and the brain?"

"Exactly. Once the brain and the eye were both defeated, Cthulhu was exiled into an even more terrifying place. He was warped to the sixth dimension and thought never to return," said Embrea. "And now… now this." Suddenly Thunder stood up, slammed his chair into the table and stormed angrily off to his quarters.

"What's with him?" asked Topaz in alarm.

"I don't know," continued Saffa, "but I think it has to do with Cthulhu."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Embrea's Fall

Calythé, Ramisse, and Monavelle sat in a circle in their base, discussing affairs.

"I hear you translated that message," said Ramisse.

"Yes," said Calythé. "It was rather cryptic. Shall I recite it?"

"Go ahead," said Monavelle, and she kicked back on her cushion and crossed her legs.

Calythé cleared her throat, and in a deeply sepulchral voice she intoned:

_The land of blood_

_And the shadow-place_

_To end the war_

_Must be erased._

_Cthulhu's rise_

_Will increase his might_

_And create an eternal_

_And consuming night,_

_unless she who is green_

_and he who is blue_

_Unite to defeat the god,_

_Cthulhu._

_But beware, beware_

_Of the shape he will take,_

_The red beams and magical flame_

_He will make._

_So if emerald and sapphire answer not the call,_

_The mad god shall create Terraria's fall._

They all sat and thought about that a moment.

"Ocram, that's confusing," said Monavelle. "What do you suppose we do?"

"Wait?" suggested Ramisse.

"Yeah, I'd say we wait," said Calythé, with finality.

Emi was just putting on her nightgown when a series of loud, urgent knocks sounded at her door. She spun angrily, clutching her nightgown to her chest, and cracked it open. "WHY ARE YOU HERE AT THIS HOUR?!" she screamed at Topaz and Saffa, who were on the other side of the door.

"It's Embrea. She's… she's in trouble," stammered Topaz, yellow eyes wide with fright. Saffa nodded, his head barely reaching Topaz's waist.

"Then let me at least get my robe on," said Emi. She closed the door, put on her green robes, picked up her staff and rushed out to them. Together they ran down the corridor to the entrance hall, the gems and metals flashing in their staves. Emi shoved open the door and held up her staff. What she saw shocked her. Embrea stood in the clearing, the ruby in her golden staff lighting up the night, her hair and eyes flashing red. Before her stood a zombie even taller than the Magicians' Guild. Its brain spilled out the top of its head and it had one enormous, bloodshot eye. Emi could see that Embrea, powerful as she was, was faltering, her legs quivering as she held her stance and her red bolts weakening as they emitted from her staff.

"Cthulhu," she said.

There was no time to lose. Tiny Saffa held up his staff and the sapphire at the top winked blue. Then, with a wild yell, he let loose his mana power and a blue bolt coursed down the silver rod and blasted the zombie in the eye. Both Embrea and Cthulhu turned to them incredulously. Then Cthulhu charged, and it looked like Saffa was done for. Just at that moment, though, Emi and Topaz leveled their staves and sent blasts of green and yellow energy at the monster. Even Embrea joined in, sending her powerful red bolts shrieking out of her staff. But Cthulhu was strong. Finally, all four magicians had exhausted their mana power and the gems in their staves grew dull. Cthulhu, weakened but still menacing, let out a booming, terrible laugh.

"I am Cthulhu," he said. "None can defeat me! I shall live forever once I achieve my mightiest form!"

"You are evil," said Embrea. "You will destroy all of Terraria in your mightiest form."

"Exactly," said Cthulhu. "I will harvest you to fuel my avatars. And once my avatars are created, all of Terraria will be in ruin!" Cthulhu threw back his head and laughed again. "Oh, but it is good to be alive again! The sixth dimension is a nasty place."

"YOU SUCK!" yelled Saffa from down near the monster's foot. Cthulhu blinked and looked down. Then he chuckled.

"You there! You're a witty one. I think I'll kill you last. Right after I kill her-" he waved casually at Embrea, "-and them-" he gestured to Emi and Topaz, "-and him," he said casually, pointing to Thunder, who had materialized out of nowhere.

Then he said, "Wait a second - HIM?" Thunder glared at Cthulhu from his one remaining eye and raised his platinum staff. The diamond on the top shone.

"I know you," Cthulhu growled. "You're-"

Cthulhu didn't get a chance to finish the sentence, because Thunder's staff glowed and an enormous silvery-white bolt erupted from the end. It hit Cthulhu's brain right between its lobes, passed clean through his head, and burst out the other side. The god howled with pain, already shriveling to a tiny size. "You've not killed me yet!" he screeched. "I will return! I will return! I will reeeeeee…" Then, with a loud pop, he was gone, sending a wave of foul-smelling air through the forest and a slight bloodstain on the ground.

Embrea was standing nearby, but she didn't look so good. Instead of proudly standing up straight, she was hunched over, leaning heavily on her staff like a cane. Her breathing was a little more labored than usual, and her hands shook a little. Her normally blood-colored hair was turning pink at the tips. Her bright red eyes had grown milky with cataracts. Around her eyes, several wrinkles had deepened into her usually perfect skin.

"All my years are catching up with me," she wheezed. "I don't feel too good."

"You don't look too good, either," said Topaz. "Let's get her to the guild. Thunder, help me carry her. Emi and Saffa, go to Embrea's office and send a message to the heads of the Warriors' and Archers' Guilds. Tell them to get ready for battle. We've got a god to slay."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Emi Runs Away

Calythé screamed and sat bolt upright in bed. Ramisse burst into her room, with Monavelle behind, rubbing her eyes.

"What HAPPENED?" shrieked Ramisse. Monavelle yawned and massaged her temples, looking uninterested.

"Something bad has happened. I had a dream vision," said Calythé, swinging her legs around to the edge of the bed and standing up. "Let's go out into the main room."

They shuffled out into the main room, still wearing their nightgowns, and sat on their cushions. "In my vision, I saw the ruby-strength magician Embrea Holt, the headmistress of the Magicians' Guild," said Calythé.

"One of the Ageless Ones," breathed Monavelle, suddenly more awake. "The original founder of the guild. I heard she's almost a hundred years old."

"Well, apparently not so ageless anymore. I saw her fighting Cthulhu in a clearing."

"The brain or the eye?" said Ramisse with concern.

"Neither. It was his giant incarnate. She fought until she was weakened, and then four recruits came storming out of the guild: an emerald-strength, a sapphire-strength, a topaz-strength and the diamond-strength Thunder Zevulon," said Calythé. "They killed the incarnate, but it aged Embrea dramatically. She is in a terrible condition."

"Do we know what this means?" said Monavelle.

"Yes," said Calythé. "It means it's time to go pay the guild a visit."

Emi and Saffa were sitting out in the dining hall with their staves, summoning green and blue fireworks. This had used to be their favorite game, but now they only halfheartedly summoned the bursting flowers and glittering trails. A deep gloom had settled over the guild. Topaz refused to eat, Emi's green hair was matted and tangled, and Saffa rarely came out of his room before lunchtime. Thunder sat next to Embrea's bed day and night, never leaving her side to eat or sleep. His eye, usually vicious, held a tender sadness as he stroked Embrea's withered hand. Embrea was like the mother the other magicians never had. Without her guidance, the guild became a dump. Even bookish Emi wished she could have Ametha back, if only to get in trouble and have some fun.

As Emi fired a green missile at the dark blue bubble hovering over her head, a knock sounded on the great door and she rushed to open it. On the other side of the door were Alalia and Kathy, the nurse and dryad from the next town over. They had come to try healing Embrea.

"Come on in, follow me and I'll show you where she is," said Emi. The three of them ran to Embrea's room. She lay in her bed, pale and wan, her flesh soft and wrinkled instead of smooth and taut over her cheekbones. The skin of her hands was nearly transparent, and the three young women could see every vein and bone. Embrea's breathing was labored and wheezy. Her hair had changed color, from bright red to pale pink. Thunder sat next to her, as always, looking thin and tired, a dark circle under his one eye.

Embrea opened her eyes as Kathy the nurse approached her. Her normally vibrant red eyes were hooded with cataracts and were now a milky pink color. First she turned her head to Thunder. "Plantera's Bulb, Thunder, I'm not going to die yet. Go have something to eat and then take a nap," she wheezed, with obvious concern. Thunder closed his eye and bowed his head, then he got up and went to the kitchens. Emi watched him go with longing.

Then Embrea turned her head to Kathy. "Try your best, but I'm too old for this. I'm almost a hundred years old."

Kathy lifted the fragile hand and felt Embrea's pulse. "Well, Madam Holt, from what I can understand you were in perfect health for a woman of your age."

"I am an Ageless One," murmured Embrea. "I was supposed to stay young forever."

"Remarkable," breathed Kathy. "Maybe your encounter with Cthulhu negated your immortality. Alalia? What do you think?" she asked, turning to the dryad.

"That's probably what happened," said the dryad in a silvery voice. "Perhaps Cthulhu infected you with his essence. Shall I try purification powder?"

"You can certainly try," Embrea said, with an effort. Alalia took a pinch of powder from a small blue sack and sprinkled it over Embrea's thin form. However, while the cataracts did clear from Embrea's eyes and some of the color crept back into her hair, she remained exactly the same. Emi felt a lump rising in her throat and ran to her quarters, green tears forming in her eyes. She picked up her staff and a few supplies, snuck out to the entrance hall, glanced around her, and slipped outside as noiselessly as a shadow. Then she strapped her staff to her back and ran.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Call Me Rae

Calythé stared intently into her crystal ball. Then she tapped it with one finger and the image faded. She stood up and knocked on Monavelle's door. "Mona," she called, "I know you're in there. Get your green armor. You know the one I'm talking about."

She grinned as she heard Monavelle scream, "GREEN!" Then she summoned Ramisse to do the same thing.

"Get your sword and spear too," added Calythé, and she went to her own closet and extracted her chlorophyte armor. It was made of a green metal with a leafy motif. She slipped into the greaves, pulled on the plate mail and set the helmet on her head. Then she reached into her chest and removed a rod with a flower on the end. Twirled it around her hand. Slid it into the sheath on her back.

When Monavelle and Ramisse emerged, Calythé said, "I will go to the crimson. Monavelle, go to the hallows, and Ramisse, you should go to the jungle."

"Why?" inquired Monavelle, loading arrows into her quiver.

"Because the emerald-strength magician from the guild is going to be nearby. She can take us to see Embrea."

"And I can kill some jungle monsters on the way," said Ramisse, hopping up and down.

"Yes, of course," agreed Calythé.

Emi raced through the forest on light feet, her green robes swishing around her ankles. She didn't really care where she was going, although she did feel like she should go to one of the other guilds. She ran through forests and fought slimes. She ran through a snow biome and fought eskimos. She ran through a very rainy place and was followed by walking goldfish. One biome was made of meteorite and burned her feet. Another had bluish grass and mushroom trees. She sped across the deserts and jumped off the dunes. However, by now she was tired and an army of enemies was following her: eskimos; flying fish; flaming meteorite heads; fungus bugs from the mushroom place; a whole rainbow of slimes. So she ran behind a jungle tree and hid, breathing heavily, and slowly extracted her staff from her pack.

Then, Emi's eyes widened in shock, for more enemies were in front of her now. Big, ugly, tough enemies. The energy came back and she fled, firing her staff behind her. She knocked down several monsters, but the wave was still coming, and it was thick.

Emi was cornered. She sank down behind a dirt outcropping, covered her eyes and wished for a quick end.

The monsters never came. Emi opened one eye and stared in wonder; a stranger in green armor was slicing away at the monsters with a huge sword, then keeping them at bay with an even larger spear. A cape of pale white-blond hair flowed out from the green mask and sticking out from the cape was a pair of icy blue wings. A floating leaf crystal hung above her head, attacking as she attacked. Emi watched in wonder as the mysterious woman did away with the bats, the snatching vines, the fungi bugs and the vultures with sweeps of her sword and jabs with her spear.

Finally, when all the remaining monsters had been killed or ran away, the stranger sheathed her sword and spear. She turned to Emi, and she could see amber brown eyes glitter behind the chlorophyte mask.

"I have been waiting for you, Emidawn Rose," she murmured, her voice slightly tinny behind the mask.

"Um, how did you know my name?" Emi inquired timidly. This woman could slice her in half at the slightest provocation; Emi was smart enough not to let that happen.

The woman threw back her head and laughed. "My sister told me. She's a magician like you. She specializes in dark magic." Emi decided not to ask what that was.

"Are you a friend of Embrea's?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"I know her," came the cryptic answer. "Come. Let's go to your guild and I shall summon my sisters."

"Who are you?" wondered Emi incredulously.

The stranger sighed and rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. "I have been called by many names. The Slaughterer, the Swordswoman, the Hallowed One, the Slayer of Cthulhu, and even She Who Trolls. My weapons have tasted the blood of many." She stopped, removed her mask and looked at Emi with her warm, dark amber eyes.

"I am Ramisse, the Blade," she intoned. Then she added, "Call me Rae, everyone does."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Fall from Grace

Ramisse and Emi sat at the long table in the dining hall. Ramisse had pressed her fingers to her temples and shut her golden brown eyes, concentrating. Her icy wings waved softly as she did this. Then she opened her eyes and removed her fingers from her head. She turned to Emi. "They're on their way."

Saffa ambled into the dining hall. Upon seeing Ramisse, he pointed and screamed. Emi rushed over to him, calming him. "Shh. Rae, this is my friend Saffa Blue. Saffa, this is Ramisse the Blade."

"The BLADE?!" shrieked Saffa. "This is too good to be true! Punch me!" he said, proffering Emi his arm.

"No," said Emi firmly. Ramisse chuckled.

"He's cute," she said. "Here, big guy. You want to see if you're dreaming, hold this." She unsheathed her huge chlorophyte sword and handed it to Saffa, who almost collapsed under its weight.

"Ouch," came Saffa's muffled voice from somewhere under the sword. Ramisse laughed again and took the sword back.

"That's why I'm the Blade," she said, grinning smugly and sheathing the sword. "So, I contacted Calythé and Monavelle and they are coming soon."

"Sooner than you think," came a voice at the door. In strode two more strange women, clad in green chlorophyte armor nearly identical to Ramisse's, but with slight headgear variations. The woman on the left had long black hair, teal blue eyes, ghostly ectoplasmic wings, and a helmet shaped like a dragon's head. The woman on the right had chocolate brown hair, burning fire wings, grass green eyes and a helmet with horns curving back alongside her head. She had a quiver of arrows slung over her back and a crossbow in her hand.

Ramisse gestured to the women. "Sisters, this is Emi and Saffa. Emi, Saffa, these are my sisters Calythé-" she indicated to the one on the left, "-and Monavelle," she introduced, waving at the one on the right.

"Pleased to eat you," said Monavelle with a horrid grin on her face.

"Mona!" reprimanded Calythé sternly. "This isn't a battlefield. They're just children!"

"Sorry," she said unregetfully. "Forgot my manners."

"Wow! The Book, the Blade, and the Bow! Can I have your autographs?" asked Saffa. Monavelle reached into her quiver, pulled out an arrow, and handed it to Saffa, who then fainted from excitement.

Monavelle chuckled. "I love little kids."

"Where's Embrea?" asked Calythé anxiously, fingering the ghostly feathers on her wings.

Emi gestured after her, then set off down the hall. The three women followed her into Embrea's quarters. Thunder was back by her bedside, and her aging had advanced. Embrea's hair had turned from pink to snow-white, with the barest hint of its original bloodred glory close to the roots. Her skin was wrinkled and transparent. She opened her eyes and looked at the three women standing over her, and when she saw them she drew in a deep, rattling breath.

"Calythé," she wheezed. "Monavelle. Ramisse. In all my years, I never thought I would see you three hooligans again."

Monavelle stamped her foot. "I'm not a hooligan!"

"Embrea," murmured Calythé. "You look terrible."

Embrea smiled. "What else is new?"

"Now's not a time to joke," reprimanded Calythé. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Listen to me," whispered Embrea. "I have aged over seventy years over the past few days. I don't have much time left. I'm afraid I may die of old age within the next few hours."

"Don't say that, oh please don't say that, oh please oh please," pleaded Emi. "We love you, Embrea. We don't want you to die now."

"I love all of you too," Embrea murmured, looking at the faces around her; Topaz and Saffa had joined the group and were peering in at her. She drew in another deep breath. "I want you all to be strong and defeat Cthulhu. I'm so proud of all of you for what you did that night." At this she looked at Emi, Thunder, Topaz and Saffa, tears brimming in all their eyes. Embrea blinked back a pink tear as she gazed at them.

Then she turned her head to the three women. "Calythé, Ramisse, and Monavelle. I've been watching you. You have blossomed into three extraordinary young ladies. If you drove Cthulhu out once, you can do it again."

Monavelle pulled a fire feather from her wings and laid it on Embrea's chest. "By this feather I grant you strength of sight," she said, and the cataracts cleared from her eyes and they returned to their former color.

Then Ramisse pulled a feather from her wings. Unlike Monavelle's, it was icy and frozen. "By this feather I grant you strength of body," she murmured, laid it on Embrea's chest, and her skin became smooth and taut again.

Finally, Calythé pulled a feather from her ghostly wings. "By this feather I grant you strength of mind," she intoned, laid it alongside the other feathers, and the scarlet rime at the roots of Embrea's hair raced down its length, and suddenly Embrea looked young and beautiful again.

"I thank you," she wheezed, "for restoring my beauty and youth. But I am still dying."

"We know," chorused the three women. Embrea drew in a last rattling breath.

"I love you all," she whispered. "Be strong."

And with that, her red eyes closed and Embrea entered eternal slumber.


	8. Chapter 8: Prophecy of the Phoenix

Chapter 8

They carried the pearlwood casket slowly across the hallows. Calythé, Ramisse, and Monavelle each held one corner, while Thunder took the fourth. Tears streamed down their faces. Following them in a silent line were Topaz, Emi, and Saffa, and behind them was an unusual procession of pixies and unicorns, for Embrea had been the keeper of the creatures of the hallows. They reached a spot under a tall pearlwood tree where a grave had been dug, soft turquoise grass lining its walls and floor. Calythé opened the casket, revealing Embrea's tranquil, beautiful face, and Topaz lowered it into the grave. Then the three women began to chant an ancient Terrarian burial incantation.

_"Before life must come death,_

_After death comes new life,_

_Before light must come darkness,_

_Before happiness, strife._

_But all wounds shall heal,_

_Time is the soothing balm_

_That dulls the pain of memory_

_To an everlasting calm._

_Today we commemorate_

_Thy last days since birth,_

_So we relinquish thy body_

_Unto hallowed earth."_

The melody washed over them, sad and achingly sweet, and for a moment they felt like everything would be all right. "Amen," Monavelle murmured absently, and it seemed like enough. Then Emi screamed and pointed a shaking finger at the casket. Embrea's corpse had sat up, straight as a bolt from the waist above. Its face was still perfect and beautiful, but its eyes were empty, dull.

Ramisse jumped in front of the party and unsheathed her greatsword, but at that moment the corpse spoke in a deeply sepulchral tone. Its lips weren't exactly in sync with the words, and the message was cryptic. _"Heed my words, O magicians. Fear not, for the god shall fall and the phoenix shall rise from the ashes once more."_ At that, the corpse fell back into the casket and the casket slammed shut.

Everyone immediately panicked. Only Calythé kept her cool, using her dirt rod to magically fill the grave. There was great confusion and yelling until a tiny voice was heard above them. "Help!"

It was a small voice but somehow it was projected across the hallows, as if the caller were miles away. "Please, help me!"

Monavelle snapped into action first, engaging her fire wings and flying toward the source of the sound. Then followed Ramisse and Calythé, and the magicians followed the flying women. The search took them out of the hallows and into the crimson. Then they found the source of the little voice. Huddled against a dirt hump and surrounded by hordes of crawlers was a small scrap of dull colors. It was a little girl, about Saffa's age, but not nearly as well fed or cared for. She had stringy gray-brown hair and mud-colored eyes and was so thin that they could count every rib through her threadbare robe. She was completely filthy from head to toe and shivered with pure terror. Ramisse drew her sword and casually, lazily really, picked off every one of the crawlers. Emi rushed forward and rolled the little girl onto her back. She laid the back of her hand against the filthy forehead and immediately drew back. The mite wasn't just shivering from fear, she was burning with fever. She looked up at Emi with wide, frightened eyes, breathing hard, and sneezed violently. Emi turned to Ramisse.

"We'll take her to the Magicians' Guild," she said matter-of-factly. "She needs to heal, and we have superior healers." Then she looked back at the little girl staring up at her. "Don't be afraid," she said softly, stroking the tangled hair. "It's all right. You're safe." Finally she tenderly gathered the ragged little bundle in her arms and struck out across the crimson.


	9. Chapter 9: Embrea's Will

Chapter 9

The girl lay in Embrea's old bed, asleep. Emi and Saffa had scrubbed her for hours to get her clean, and attacked her tangled brown hair with a comb. Finally, they had taken away her threadbare, filthy old garment and given her one of Ametha's old robes. Lying serenely asleep in bed, damp hair lying soft across the pillow, face and hands clean, and dressed in a pale purple robe, she looked rather pretty. She was still thin and feverish, but she no longer shivered with cold and her ribs were gradually disappearing under a layer of flesh. Her chest rose and fell gently and she smiled in her sleep. Saffa smiled too, watching her eyelids flicker and relax, flicker and relax. Emi passed by the room once and saw Saffa at the girl's head, gently stroking her hair.

At dinner that night, Ramisse held up a small leather-bound book. "This is Embrea's diary," she announced. "This is where she wrote her will."

"Let's see," said Emi, and Ramisse opened the book to the last two pages.

"To my students and recruits, I leave my best regards; my love; and all my coins," she read.

"Neat," said Topaz. "We got money."

"Topaz!" reprimanded Emi.

"Next…" continued Ramisse. "To Cyrrus Ironfist, head of the Warriors' Guild, I leave my Extractinator, in the hopes that the minerals he takes from it are useful and provide his recruits with what they need.

To Elver Skyvale, head of the Archers' Guild, I leave my 'Molten Fury' bow; quiver; and Hell's Fire arrows, since I do not use them and I know he and his recruits will appreciate them.

To my daughter I leave my rainbow rod, my magical harp, and my wisp in a bottle, Skullivan Jr.

Find all the items above in the guild vault.

That's it, the rest has been torn out," said Ramisse.

"Vault… harp… bow… she has _kids_?!" Emi spluttered in a strangled voice.

"I would think so, seeing as how I'm one of them," Calythe snarked back.


	10. Chapter 10: The Vault

Chapter 10: Into the Vault

"Okay, I don't know where to begin," squeaked Emi. "There's a vault in the guild? An actual vault?"

"It's underground," said Calythé. "Under Embrea's bed."

"But that's where she's sleeping," said Saffa dreamily.

"Snap out of it, lovebird. You're too young for that," Calythé chuckled, jostling his shoulder. "We'll move her."

They each picked up a corner of the girl's bed and gently moved her over, revealing a trapdoor, gray with age and dust. Thunder lifted the latch and opened the door. His eye watered as dust swirled up and around him but he did not make a sound. Then he descended into the vault and lit the lamp on the wall. Emi, Saffa, Topaz and Calythé watched as he picked up a golden harp and plucked a single string. A sharp, discordant _TWANG_ rent the air, the string snapped in two, and a single malformed black note wriggled out, flopped onto the floor and dissolved.

"Ouch," growled Calythé, grimacing in pain. Suddenly the harp wiggled in Thunder's hands and slowly rose out of his arms. He frowned and jumped, trying to catch it, but it levitated out of his reach and flew towards Calythé instead. It nestled into her arms, and as she held it, the string melded together. She slowly drew her hand across the strings, and a stream of blue notes issued from the strings and almost hit Topaz.

"Hey! Watch where you're throwing those notes, lady!" he yelled.

"Sorry. This harp…" Calythé looked down at the harp. She stared at it for a long time.

"Okay. Next item of business… EMBREA HAS KIDS?!" Emi screeched.

Calythé sighed heavily. "It's a long story… if you want it in detail, I'll have to cast you a special spell." They walked off to Emi's quarters, where Emi got into her bed. Calythé pressed her forehead to Emi's, black bangs intermingling with green. She spoke a spell: "_Empathize through another's eyes._"

Emi instantly fell asleep.

And as she slept, she dreamed…


	11. Chapter 11: An Unexpected Story

Chapter 11

Emi was flying.

She couldn't control her flight, but she could move around and see her surroundings. She was floating gently over to a distant building. It looked familiar, but she couldn't place how. Then it hit her, she was looking at the Magicians' Guild, several years in the past. She phased through a few walls until she was looking at a familiar room: Embrea's quarters. Embrea was sitting in a chair, young and lovely as ever. She held two babies in her arms, with muddy brownish-gray hair - the color of an unclaimed magician. One, the girl, was slightly larger. The other, the boy, was a little smaller and moved fitfully. Embrea was lavishing attention on the girl, while the boy kicked and wriggled as if to say,_ Look at meeeeee_!

_Flash-forward._

The girl, now about six, was holding a long staff across her palms, a staff unlike any Emi had seen before. It was purple and had a triangular top. Emi then recognized it as Calythé's shadowbeam staff.

"What do you think it does?" the boy asked.

"I don't know," said the girl. "But I feel more powerful when I hold it." Suddenly a large shimmering yin-yang symbol appeared over the girl's head, and the dark part detached from the light and washed over the girl's body, shrouding her in dark energy. Suddenly there was a flash - and instead of dirty gray hair and mud-colored eyes, there stood a girl with teal blue eyes and a cascade of jet-black hair. It was Calythé, and she had been claimed by dark magic. Embrea squealed and hugged her daughter. The boy stood impassively and grumbled.

_Flash-forward._

Emi saw Embrea come to her daughter, now about eleven years old, with a golden harp. The word _CALLIE_ had been engraved in the gold in thin, spidery script. Calythé took the harp and gave it an experimental strum. Blue notes flew from the end, bouncing off the walls.

"It's wired to you," said Embrea. "Only you can play it, my darling girl."

The boy spat in anger - and suddenly a giant diamond appeared over his head, bathing him in white light. His hair changed to white and his eyes to light grey. With a shock Emi realized that it was Thunder. He strode to Calythé and tried to wrest the harp from her grasp, but the harp was stuck to her as if with glue. Finally he gave up and walked calmly into the courtyard, where he screamed in anger.

Flash-forward.

Emi was hovering about eight feet above the World Bridge. Calythé and Thunder were walking across it.

"Thunder, what are we doing here?" Calythé asked nervously. "There aren't any rails."

"Hmm. Yes. About that," Thunder mused. "You know, you were always Mom's favorite."

"What?" Calythé said, now more scared than curious. "Is this about the harp?"

"It's not about the harp, Sister," hissed Thunder menacingly, rounding upon her and slowly pursuing her to the edge of the bridge. Finally she backed so far that her heels were hanging over the edge.

"Don't do this, Brother," she wailed, tears streaming down her face.

"I didn't want to, but unrailed bridges are DANGEROUS!" he howled with a horrid manic grin on his face. He stuck out his hand in a gesture to help her up, then turned it over with a cry of "PSYCH!" and pushed Calythé off of the bridge.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" she screamed as she tumbled end over end down to earth. Thunder watched her fall with a completely impassive expression on his face.

"Goodbye, Sister," he said in a monotone, and with a swish of robes he was gone.

Calythé fell screaming into a large pool of dirty water. She desperately worked to crawl out, but cried out in pain. Emi felt a sharp pain in her arm and realized she was feeling what Calythé was feeling. An empathic link. She saw Calythé gasp in pain and fall limp halfway out of the water. Everything went black and Emi woke up, sweating.

"It was awful," Emi sobbed into Calythé's shoulder. "I don't understand why he did that to you. Especially someone as unbelievably gorgeous as he is."

Calythé stroked Emi's hair. "Shhh. Try having lived it."

"There has to be more," Emi gulped bravely.

"There is," Calythé murmured, and she put her forehead to Emi's again and Emi reentered the dream…


	12. Chapter 12: An Unexpected Story, Part 2

Chapter 12

Emi saw Calythé wake up in a large living tree next to two girls. The elder looked about ten and had amber brown eyes and a long cascade of very pale blond hair. The younger girl, scarcely older than six, had wavy chocolate brown hair and green eyes. She stood to the side, sucking her thumb. Calythé's eyelids fluttered, then opened. "Wha? Where am I?" she whispered. The younger girl removed her thumb from her mouth.

"We finded you in da desert," she squeaked. "You was wyin' in da water, all dirty." She wrinkled her nose and reinserted her thumb.

"Pleased to see you're awake," said the older girl. "We were pretty worried about you. You broke your arm in two places and it would have gotten infected if Mona had kept touching you." She glared at the younger girl, who removed her thumb from her mouth and started to pick her nose. "See what I mean?"

"Gross," agreed Calythé weakly. "Can either of you tell me who I am, or what's going on?"

"The first question we can't answer," replied the amber-eyed girl, "but we took you to our tree house. Forgive me, we haven't introduced ourselves. My name is Ramisse Ironfist, daughter of Cyrrus Ironfist, and this is Monavelle Skyvale, daughter of Elver Skyvale."

"Me is tiweded," Monavelle yawned, and she toddled off to her room, flopped on her bed, and began to snore loudly.

Ramisse gestured awkwardly in her direction. "I know it doesn't look like it, but she's great with a bow for a kid her age."

"Uh-huh," Calythé mumbled. "I wish I could introduce myself, but I don't know who I am. I think I need some rest. Yeah. Some ressss…" and she dozed off.

_Flash-forward._

"Calamine?" asked Ramisse.

"No," Calythé said, strafing the sides of her head.

"Calypso?"

"No. These don't sound familiar at all."

"Callycallycally?" Monavelle babbled.

"No. Nonono."

"How about Calythé?" asked Ramisse. Calythé's expression cleared for a second.

"Yeah. I think that's it," she murmured. "Calythé. I'll go with that."

_Flash-forward._

Embrea screamed, a high keening terrible cry, and began to sob, retreating to the corner and wailing loudly. Thunder watched, a guilty expression on his face, and awkwardly went to Embrea's side. He gently patted her on the back and she waved him away.

"SHE'S DEAD!" Embrea howled. "MY BABY IS DEAD!" Thunder suddenly turned and stormed away.

_Flash-forward._

"She's alive," Embrea breathed. "And she defeated Cthulhu."

Thunder said nothing, then very quietly said, "I pushed her off of the bridge."

Embrea rounded on him, absolute murder in her eyes. "You WHAT?"

"You heard me. I PUSHED HER OFF OF THE WORLD BRIDGE!" Thunder's eyes flashed and energy crackled and swirled around him, making him glow.

Embrea stopped dead, but her anger was evident. Her face turned as red as her hair and red energy snapped about her body, making her hair rise off her back. She finally managed to splutter, "You - banished - five years."

"Fine! You know what - fine! I don't care anymore about that dumb sister of mine!" Thunder turned, picked up his grappling hook, and stormed out the door. The doors slammed shut. Embrea's face turned purple and she let out a terrible scream and Emi came awake with a start.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi, so you guys probably all hate me for ending it on a cliffhanger, and I don't blame you but I have GOOD NEWS... THE STORY'S NOT OVER YET!**

Chapter 13

Emi and Calythé padded gently out into the hall. Saffa ran up to them. "Thank goodness. I have terrible news. Thunder's gone."

"What?!" they both quavered at once.

"I'm going to look for him," Calythé announced, shouldering her harp and shadowbeam staff.

"Why? He's the one who pushed you off of the bridge," Emi questioned.

"Because, he's my brother. And once I've gotten him back I'm going to give him a sisterly hug, tell him how good he looks, and then throttle him."

_Meanwhile..._

Thunder wandered aimlessly through the wilderness. His body didn't know where it was going, for in his mind two forces bickered.

_Unclaimed,_ one snarled. _ You're becoming unclaimed. Look at yourself. Your power is fading. Nobody would care if you just died._

_That's not true,_ countered another. _Lots of people like you. There's Topaz, and Saffa, and that cute little Emi, and Embrea…_

_Topaz isn't interested, Saffa's too young, and Emi's too shy. Also, Embrea is dead._

A tear leaked from Thunder's eye. He was becoming unclaimed. His powers were weakening, and his hair and eyes were reverting to the muddy gray-brown color of an unclaimed magician.

A new voice spoke in his mind, but unlike his own, the voice was tinged with darkness. _Ah, Thunder Zevulon. I understand your plight. Being unclaimed is the worst fate a magician could ask for. Never fear, dear boy, for I can make you powerful again. I can make you the most powerful magician in all of Terraria if you let me._

Thunder pondered that for a second. Then, blinking his eye and bowing his head, he succumbed. The muddy color flowed away from his hair, replaced by shimmering, blinding white. His eye flashed silver and blinked once, turning red. Thunder felt a tremendous rush of power. It was exquisite. He felt the magic flowing to every part of his body and every fiber of his being. And, at that moment he opened his mouth, and for the first time in many, many years he threw back his head and laughed, a booming, delighted belly laugh that rolled through the forest. He leaped in the air and pumped his fist, howling with delight.

_One more thing, though,_ the voice wheedled. _You shall become my servant. If you wish not to be my servant… well, I'll kill you. Do you accept?_

Thunder opened and closed his mouth. Then, in a voice rusty and cacophonous with disuse, he croaked, "I accept."

The voice chuckled. _Very well, but be warned… with great power comes great responsibility…_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Calythé raced lightly through the forest, bare feet hardly touching the ground. One hand rested on her harp, the other on her shadowbeam staff. In her head she repeated her order over and over again: _find Thunder, find Thunder, find Thunder._ She bounded into a clearing and came to a halt. Held her nose in the air. Her heightened senses detected his scent and she leaped back into the brush and continued to run.

A voice spoke in Calythé's head. _What are you looking for, girl?_

"None of your business," she growled, whipping out her shadowbeam staff and peering around the forest.

_Tut, tut. Such a temper. You know, little girls who talk back get in trouble…_

"I'm not a little girl."

She was answered by a whispery rustling sound in a nearby bush. Calythé turned around in a split second, just in time to see the sleep arrow flying toward her. There was a slight pricking sensation on her stomach.

She just had enough time to think, _Oh crap. A dart trap. Hey, that rhymes, lol._

Then, all was darkness.

_Meanwhile..._

Ramisse padded gently across the crimson, stealthily crawling across the terrain. She smiled as a lone crimera flew over the hill, then pulled out her sword and threw it in the air. The green blade spiraled end over end into the sky, sliced the crimera in half, and embedded itself neatly in the crimson sand before her, covered in crimera blood.

A voice chuckled in her head. _You know, Ramisse Ironfist, you were always a competitive one._

"I'm not competitive - I just like to win," she gloated, wiping her sword clean and sheathing it.

_Precisely,_ the voice replied. _Say, you certainly had it in for that one crimera. How do you think you'd fare against many? Satisfy your need to win, and kill the crimera, and I will let you go._

"Easy," she grunted, hefting her sword and engaging her ice wings. "I hunt crimera in my sleep."

Suddenly her jaw dropped, for flying over the hill was not a group, not a cloud, but a veritable swarm of crimera so thick it blocked out the sun.

"Awright," she snarled. "I like a challenge." Ramisse threw herself into the swarm of crimera, slashing away at the monsters. Unfortunately, though she was strong, the crimera were stronger still and soon overpowered her. Ramisse's flight time ran out, her eyes closed and she succumbed to her cuts and bruises.

_Time to sleep, Blade, _the voice laughed as the girl fell down to earth.

_Meanwhile..._

Monavelle was suddenly aware of a dark presence behind her. She whirled around, tensing the string of her crossbow with an arrow at the ready, and was surprised to see Thunder standing behind her. "Thunder? What are you doing here?"

Thunder opened his mouth and spoke, but the voice didn't belong to him. "All people like pretty things. You are certainly very pretty, Monavelle Skyvale."

"Um, thanks," she said tentatively, relaxing her bowstring slightly.

"I'll tell you what," Thunder murmured. "Come with me, pretty one, and I will give you gifts."

"Oh, stop," giggled Monavelle, blushing and brushing back a strand of chocolate-colored hair. "You flatter me."

"So will you come with me, lovely girl, and be mine forever?" Thunder asked with a winning smile.

"No," Monavelle giggled, still blushing.

Thunder's expression darkened and his eye blinked red. "What do you mean, no? Don't you love me?"

"You're ugly and weird, and plus your eye is red," Monavelle said pointedly. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" She turned around and tensed her bowstring. Thunder's face turned bright vermilion and he pulled his rainbow rod out of its sheath. He tried casting a rainbow a few times, but somehow could not summon the rainbow, for it fizzled out seconds after leaving the rod. Thunder shrugged and raised the rainbow rod above his head. When Monavelle turned around, all she saw was the rod descending, and it made contact with her head and suddenly there was nothing.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"What's going on? Calythé hasn't come back, and now Mona and Rae are gone too," Emi mused as Saffa stared at the girl in the bed. She was unconscious all the time, but her fever was gone and her ribs and body were now sound and well-fleshed.

"I have no idea," Saffa murmured, stroking her hair.

"And Thunder's gone too. It's down to the three of us," Emi continued.

"Mm-hmm," Saffa muttered absently.

"I'd better do something about this. I'm going to find them," Emi finished, picking up her staff.

"Bye," Saffa mumbled.

Emi grabbed his shoulder. "And you are coming with me."

"Awww…" Saffa scowled as she dragged him out of the room.

"Where are you two going?" Topaz demanded of them as they began to leave.

"We're off to see what's going on," Emi announced.

"I'm coming too," Topaz said, shouldering his tin staff, and they pushed open the doors and went into the wild open.

Once they entered the forest, Emi pointed her staff in the air and commanded, "Seek." A green bolt rocketed up the tungsten rod and exploded into a thousand glittering shards in the sky. Then the shards re-formed into an arrow, pointing east. "It's a nifty little trick Embrea taught me," she said smugly. "I used it to sniff out Ametha's trouble. Kind of showy and extremely flammable, but worth the risk." They set off in the direction of the arrow.

"You know, by now you'd think we would have found them," Emi scowled as the arrow led them farther east. "We've almost reached the ocean."

"You're right," Saffa agreed brightly. "Let's go home. I think that the girl needs us to defend her-" he was stopped by Topaz hoisting him into the air by the back of his robes.

"Oh no you don't," he said threateningly, golden eyes sparkling with menace. Saffa trembled so violently his teeth chattered.

"Set him down," Emi commanded. "I hear something." Suddenly she flattened herself against a tree as golden dagger thudded into the ground next to her.

A blood-curdling war shout rang out in the bush. "Come out here, you cowards!"

"Wait a minute," Emi whispered. "That sounds familiar."

The attacker ran partially into the open. "YARR! Come get a taste of my… dagger?" Emi saw a pair of violet eyes sparkle in the darkness, and a familiar, timid voice said, "Emi? Saffa? Topaz?"

"Ametha," Topaz breathed. "AMETHA!"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Ametha, laughing with sheer joy, flung herself into Topaz's outstretched arms in a purple blur. He picked her up and swung her around in a circle before setting her down.

"Boy, do I have stories to tell you! I found a cave, and I got chased by face monsters, and I also killed a mimic and got this really cool dagger that returns when I throw it! Do you think I should show it to Embrea when she lets me back into the guild?" Ametha asked eagerly. She was met by silence. Topaz, Emi, and Saffa exchanged a few uneasy glances.

Finally, Emi drew in a deep breath. "Um… about that, Ametha. I have some bad news. I'm afraid… Embrea passed on." Ametha closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"I didn't know this would happen," she sniffled, violet tears forming in her eyes. "I just thought she would live forever."

"We all did," Topaz said gently, rubbing her back. "She… she fought Cthulhu outside the guild and he negated her immortality. She was really old, Ametha, and she died a few days later."

Ametha raised her head, narrowing her eyes. "Cthulhu, that old git? I thought he was dead."

"Not dead, exiled," Emi corrected. "And he's returned."

Ametha wiped the purple tears from her face, stared hard at all of them in turn, and ordered, "Stay here. I'll be right back." And with that she took off through the brush. She returned a few minutes later with a can of red paint.

"Courtesy of my friend Raphael," she announced smugly as she lifted the lid off the paint can. Ametha dipped two fingers in the paint and smeared it on her cheek, where it clashed horribly with her purple hair. "War paint. Only ten copper coins per can."

"I like it," Emi marveled. "It's red. Embrea's signature color."

"That's why," Ametha agreed. "We fight this battle for ourselves, we fight this battle for Terraria, and WE FIGHT THIS BATTLE FOR EMBREA HOLT!"

"Well, we're not fighting yet, but we'll keep the paint," Saffa said. "Right now we're looking for our friends Calythé, Ramisse, and Monavelle. We can't seem to find them."

"The Book, the Blade, and the Bow?! NO WAY!" Ametha said incredulously. "What happened?"

"Thunder left awhile ago, and Calythé tried to find him, and Ramisse tried to find her, et cetera," Emi replied. "Long story short, all three of them are gone."

"You know, I passed through the crimson on my way to get the paint from the village," Ametha mused, "and I saw some crawlers and face monsters, but they weren't coming after me. They were going into this dark cave, and I heard laughter coming from it. Maybe that's where they are."

"Great idea, Ametha," Topaz replied. "Let's go crimson-diving."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Calythé woke first. She was woozy, tired, and covered in sweat, but she was awake. She tried to clear her mind, but there was a fog across her brain, making her sinuses feel strange. Calythé sneezed - and then stopped in alarm, for her sneeze had made no sound at all. She started to murmur, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," but heard only cave noises. With a noiseless scream she realized she had been Silenced. Calythé groped in her pocket for her immunity charm and her fingers brushed against steel feathers.

Wait a second. Steel feathers? Her own wings were made of soft, delicate ectoplasm. She whipped her head around and stared, terrified, at herself and her comrades. There on her back were the wings of Red, a highly exalted figure in Terraria. Monavelle was wearing the wings of Cenx, while Ramisse was wearing the wings of Crowno. Calythé trembled violently. To wear these wings meant almost certain death for the wearer. She hung her head in resignation and hoped someone would rescue them.

_Meanwhile, on the surface..._

"This is it," Ametha said, indicating a large hole in the mountainside. They cautiously crept into the cave, holding their staves, Ametha grasping her dagger. They eventually came to a ledge overlooking a great chasm, where they couldn't believe what they saw. A pack of crimera floated close to the ceiling, joined by large groups of crawlers. Face monsters stood on ledges and leered down at the strange and terrifying creatures of the underground crimson: slimes, blisterlings, blood jellyfish, flesh-piranhas, and a pack of floaty gross. Enchanted axes flew around the walls of the cavern. A swarm of stickers floated around aimlessly, dimly lighting the cavern with the sticky golden ichor dripping from their jaws. On the very bottom of the cavern were Calythé, Ramisse, and Monavelle, bound, wearing wings that would eventually kill them. As the four magicians watched, Thunder strode out onto the floor of the cavern.

"Creatures of the Crimson!" he announced, "I would like to congratulate you. You have helped me capture the three who thwarted me, allowing me to be unstoppable!" A cheer went up among the creatures, comprised mostly of screeches, squelches and fountains of ichor. Thunder wiped some of it off his sleeve, cursed something about ichor lowering his defenses, and continued. "These three heroines are wearing deadly wings. Every minute, their life force drains away. Then, they will die, and Terraria will be mine." He pumped his fist in the air. "TO THE REIGN OF CTHULHU!" He was once again met by cheers. One sticker fainted with excitement and fell on the floor, generating a slowly spreading pool of golden fluid. Thunder regarded it with disgust, turned his attention to a cadre of floaty gross, and ordered, "Ol' Leaky is dripping again. You know the drill - clean him up." The floaty gross saluted and hovered over to the sticker. Thunder watched as they started mopping up the sticky liquid, and at that moment the four magicians made their move. They stealthily threw down a rope coil, bypassing the face monsters, crawlers, and crimera. Once they reached the cavern floor, Ametha reached into her robe and passed around invisibility potions.

"They only last for a few minutes," she mouthed, uncorking hers. "Use it wisely. Bottoms up." She drank the potion down and vanished. Then, invisible Ametha tiptoed into the crowd of monsters. Emi drank hers down and tiptoed into the circle of chairs, facing Monavelle. She gently opened Monavelle's mouth and tipped an extra potion into her throat, unbeknownst to the enchanted axes. Then she eased the wings off Monavelle's back and threw them into the puddle of ichor, where they disintegrated. Emi and Saffa picked up Monavelle and carried her to the rope ladder, where Ametha had rigged up a pulley system. They placed the girl's unconscious body in the pulley and started to hoist her up. Ametha and Topaz followed, carrying Ramisse. Finally it was time to go back for Calythé. Before they could retrieve her, however, Saffa nudged Emi with alarm. She stared, wide-eyed, at him. Saffa's invisibility potion was wearing off. Emi quickly pulled her robe off, exposing her undershirt, and threw the invisible fabric over Saffa's head, turning him invisible again. Then they snuck off to rescue Calythé. When they reached her, she was conscious, and without further questions they tipped the potion down her throat. Unfortunately, the floaty gross had finished cleaning the puddle of ichor, and Thunder had turned his attention back to them.

"Hey! They're taking my prisoners! GET THEM!" Calythé, still half-visible, tried to shout "Run!" but of course no sound came out. She threw her wings off and straightened up, and she, Emi, and Saffa half-ran, half-carried each other to the pulley, followed closely by the enchanted axes. Ametha and Topaz were waiting at the top, ready to haul them up. The three of them grabbed the rope and started to ascend, but Topaz and Ametha were pulling too slowly and Thunder grasped the rope before it rose out of his reach. Calythé, Emi, and Saffa scrambled onto the ledge just as Thunder's hands appeared at the edge of the crimson stone.

Then Ramisse raised her head, drew her sword and whacked Thunder's hands with the flat of the blade. Thunder's eye grew wide with horror as he plummeted back into the cavern, landing on Ol' Leaky, the unconscious sticker, with a _splat_ and sending golden ichor flying all around the cavern. The seven adventurers dodged the ichor and the axes and ran as fast as they could.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Ramisse had been in the forges for three days. Finally she came out and presented her creations to her partners. "It has come to my attention that we need better armor if we're to fight Cthulhu. I've been in the forges for days making weapons and armor."

"What do you have for us?" Calythé asked.

"For Calythé, I have beautiful spectre armor crafted of ectoplasm, guaranteed to leech life from your enemies when-"

"Actually, I already made that," Calythé interrupted, holding up a similar set. Ramisse glared at her and threw the spectre armor out the window.

"I used all that chlorophyte for nothing? You could have told me you had already made it!"

"I would have, but you were in the forges!"

Ramisse sighed and held up the next item. "I also found a few rare magical items for you to use. This staff summons a ghost to fight for you, and this book summons a homing magnet sphere. Or do you have those too?"

"These will work perfectly."

"THANK you. Next, for Monavelle, I have made great ranger armor out of shroomite, which is chlorophyte infused with mushrooms, because she was apparently too cool to help me out in the forges. I also made her a chlorophyte repeater, plenty of special homing arrows and a new quiver." She held up a set of strange-looking blue armor, a green crossbow and a large leather quiver. Monavelle took them gratefully. "Thanks, Ramisse. This shroomite armor is really cool."

Ramisse finally held up a set of scaly brown armor covered with vines. "This last set of armor is for me. It's made of chlorophyte and turtle scales, and it has an immense thorns effect. If Cthulhu so much as touches me, he'll be hurt. As for weapons, I'm keeping my old partisan," she said, gesturing to her chlorophyte spear.

"Don't you need a sword?" Calythé asked, pointing to the empty hip sheath on the armor.

Ramisse grinned. "Excellent question. I've been saving the best for last." She turned around and picked up a huge sword, even larger than her chlorophyte greatsword, that glimmered with golden light. She took a tissue from her pocket and tossed it in the air. Then she swung the sword. Though the sword did not touch the tissue, a glowing green likeness of the sword flew from the blade, sliced the tissue in two, and thudded into the opposite wall, where it quivered until it disintegrated. Ramisse turned to her partners. "This sword is made from the swords of heroes. The True Edge of Night. Mighty Excalibur. It is the sword that will ensure Cthulhu's downfall. Friends, I present to you… the Blade of Terra."

Monavelle set the shroomite helmet on her head and cackled with delight. "We're coming, Cthulhu. And we're not happy."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Topaz, Saffa, Ametha, and Emi crept into the guild. It seemed dark and empty. The torches had long-ago burned out and the chain lanterns on the ceiling flickered violently, giving off a fluorescent buzz. Emi and Topaz circulated the room lighting the torches as Saffa sprinted for Embrea's old quarters. When he saw the girl, lying serenely asleep in the bed, he smiled with relief, but his smile did not last long. The girl, though sound and healthy, was sleeping fitfully, tossing and turning and occasionally muttering disjointed phrases in her sleep. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead and through her stringy, muddy brown hair.

Emi passed by the room and snorted. "Give it up, Saffa. You're too young for that."

Saffa waved his hand frantically, pulling them in. "Guys - listen, she's talking in her sleep." The girl's head tossed and her eyelids flickered.

"Dungeon. Battle. Midnight," she mumbled. "Green… blue… light… dark… brothers and sisters."

"What do you think she means?" Emi asked.

"Green and blue… maybe she means us," Saffa whispered incredulously. "Maybe we have to strike the killing blow."

"What I definitely understood is that we have to find Cthulhu at the dungeon at midnight," Emi responded. "Let me try something." She knelt to the girl's ear and whispered, "When must we battle?"

"Midnight… tonight," came the whispered reply. Emi pulled her watch from her pocket and examined it. It read 4:00 P.M.

They had eight hours to go.

_Meanwhile..._

Calythé sat in front of the campfire, scrying. "I've determined when the battle will be," she said as the pillar of smoke circulated between several different colors. "We must meet Cthulhu and the emerald and sapphire at the dungeon at midnight tonight."

"Bring it," Ramisse snarled as she slid the Blade of Terra into her hip sheath. "It's time for me to try out my shiny new toy."

"Just a second, Ramisse," Calythé said. "We'll need some proper wings. The ones we have are pretty good, but we'll need the world's best wings in order to do this."

"Easy," Ramisse replied. "I've got some wings laid away from the last pumpkin moon, and so does Monavelle."

"Then that just leaves me," Calythé murmured, pressing her fingers to her temples. With a pop, a pair of steampunk wings materialized in front of her. Ramisse picked them up, then compared them to her own.

"These have the same flight time as mine," she pronounced. "Dibs. You can have mine."

"Deal. I like yours better anyways," Calythé agreed with relief as she strapped on the wings. They were made of gnarled black wood and pale membranes. Monavelle's were dark, twisted fairy wings. Ramisse slipped the wings over her shoulders and flexed them. Puffs of steam emitted from the tubes on the leading edge of the wings.

"Let's go kill a god," she snarled, grasping the hilt of her sword in one hand and the end of her spear in the other. "I'll give him a taste of Terra."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Emi and Saffa stood at the entrance of the dungeon, its yawning, cavernous green mouth stretching into endless darkness. Emi checked her watch. 11:30 P.M.

"Well, we're here," she announced. "Got your staff?"

Saffa nodded once.

They lapsed into silence and waited. Topaz and Ametha jogged up to join them.

"We think you'll need help," Ametha said, smiling. She held up a familiar copper rod, and Topaz pulled a large amethyst out of the pocket of his robes. "Will you do the honors?"

Emi took the rod and the amethyst, allowed her power to trickle into both, and screwed the amethyst into its base with a satisfying _click_. Ametha took the staff and shot a bolt at the sky, where it exploded into purple shards.

"Still works perfectly," she sighed happily.

Suddenly they heard footsteps. Emi's watch read MIDNIGHT. All four pairs of eyes went to the dungeon. Thunder walked out, eye blazing red. When he saw the magicians, his face broke into a horrid grin.

"I am Cthulhu," he intoned in a deep voice.

"Does this mean you won't go out with me?" Emi asked lamely. Ametha snorted derisively.

"Too needy," she muttered under her breath.

"I knew you would come, you pathetic fools," Cthulhu chuckled. "I like it when my victims come to me. It's so much more expensive to get delivery!"

Suddenly the eye winked silver for a split second, pleading, _Help me,_ with a panicked expression. Then the eye turned red again. "You know, having this strong-minded boy as my avatar really isn't working. Maybe I'll try one of you."

"Harsh, man," Ametha said sarcastically. "I thought Thunder was a weak little sheep."

"You're right, amethyst," said Thunder/Cthulhu. "Cthulhu does not use weak little sheep as avatars. I'll use YOU."

"HEY! UNFAIR! That's my girlfriend you're trying to possess!" Topaz yelled. "Don't you have any compassion?"

"Compassion? Oh, I've got plenty. That's why I'm going to kill this lad," Thunder cackled. The eye blinked silver and he said, "What? No!" in a panicked voice.

Suddenly a furious voice from above shouted, "LEAVE… HIM… ALONE."

Emi gasped with relief. Thunder, eye red again, looked up. "What did you say?"

"You heard me, you filthy maggot. **LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE**!" And down from the heavens in a holy terror of anger swooped none other than Monavelle, Ramisse, and Calythé. Ramisse pulled a glittering sword from her sheath and flicked her wrist, sending a glowing green replica of the sword towards Thunder. Instead of cleaving his head in two, however, the sword simply turned over and whacked Thunder on the head with the flat of its blade. He screamed, "NOOOO!" and fell down, unconscious.

Emi rushed to his side. "Cthulhu's gone," she proclaimed. "But… I think there's something wrong. His hair looks all gray."

Calythé touched down and inspected her brother. "He's becoming unclaimed. Come on, let's bring him to the guild. He's going to have a major headache when he wakes up."

"This isn't over," Monavelle snarled at the sky.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Thunder came awake in the guild, looking into Calythé's teal blue eyes. She smiled. "Welcome back, little bro," she said. "We got you back from Cthulhu's trance."

"Thank goodness," he sighed. "It was awful."

"Did you just… speak?" Emi breathed.

"Yeah. I do when it's necessary. You got a problem with that?" Thunder shot back.

"N-no," Emi spluttered desperately. "Not at all. I just - never mind."

Thunder turned back to Calythé. "Listen, Callie… I had a lot of time to think when I was under the trance, and my pushing you off the bridge was unjustified and wrong. I was doing it out of rage and I wasn't thinking straight. I'm- I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted, Thunder," she said affectionately, and gave him a big, warm hug. Suddenly, as they embraced, a yin-yang sign appeared over Thunder's head, and the light part flowed away from the dark and raced down his body, bathing him in light. There was a blinding flash - and suddenly there stood Thunder, altered in appearance. His once-white hair was now a creamy, warm whitish blond, with strands of yellow and pale pink scattered about. His eye was pale gold flecked with pink. He had been reclaimed by light magic.

"So… now you're a strawberry blonde?" Calythé asked.

"No. Shut up," Thunder growled.

"Awww, it's cute. Your head looks like my last birthday cake," Emi giggled.

"Got any good magic weapons, Blondie? We're going to need all the help we can get," Calythé inquired.

"Well, I have my rainbow rod in my hip sheath, and that should work out now," Thunder said, running his hand along the rod. "I also had a nimbus rod at one point, to summon rain. And don't call me Blondie."

"What nimbus rod?" Calythé said, tilting her head.

"The one I kept under my bed."

"Oh… THAT nimbus rod. Yeah, I kinda took that nimbus rod, so it's under my bed now," she announced, grinning. Thunder's face turned vermilion.

"Do you have it?" he asked, trying to control his temper.

"Yeah. Lemme look." She opened the vault and reached into the magic safe. "Hmm… let's see, dirt blocks, star cannon, some old crap of Ramisse's…"

"It's not crap! It's a 100% bona fide Horseman's Blade!" Ramisse hollered indignantly.

"…Cursed flames, vintage cobalt armor, fart in a jar… Aha! Blondie's nimbus rod!" Calythé exclaimed proudly, holding up a staff with a cloud and a lightning bolt on top. Thunder took the slender rod and ran his hand along it. Small yellow bolts of electricity coursed up and down the weapon, and Thunder twirled it around his finger and slid it into his sheath.

Calythé continued to pore through the safe. "Here, Ramisse, take your stupid Horsey's Blade or whatever it is." Ramisse slid the sword into a sheath on her back. Calythé stuck her arm further into the safe. "Here, Mona… there's a lot of stuff for you in here. Let's see… will you want your megashark?"

"Of course I want my megashark. I can only use a crossbow for so long!" Monavelle snapped. Calythé pulled a unique gun out of the safe. It had a shark motif on one end. She also pulled out several bags of ammunition. Monavelle put the ammunition in a special pocket on her quiver and slid her megashark into her hip sheath.

Ametha ran in, carrying the can of red paint. "Here. Take some." Thunder reached two fingers into the paint and smeared it on both cheeks. After some hesitation, Calythé followed suit, drawing a streak down her nose and two bars on each cheek. They all splashed the red paint on their faces, until Thunder stopped them.

"Wait a minute. I don't have wings or any other source of air locomotion. How am I supposed to do this?"

Calythé pulled her old ghost wings out of the safe. "Here. Happy birthday."

"But - what about us?" Saffa asked timidly. The three women turned and looked at him, standing next to Emi, both looking small and scared.

Calythé turned to Ramisse and Monavelle. "I'm having second thoughts."

"Seriously? The only emerald and sapphire on this side of Terraria and you're giving up on them?" Ramisse scoffed. "I can't believe you. You're the one who told us the prophecy."

"Do you think they have a _death wish_, Ms. I-Have-The-Best-Sword-In-The-World? They're only children. They're going to die out there."

"Not if I can help it." Ramisse stuck her arm into the safe. "Gather round, kiddies. In this safe there are some wings we don't use anymore… aha… here they are." She extracted four pairs of wings from the safe. Emi picked up a pair of leafy wings that rustled gently as she strapped them over her shoulders. Ametha reached into the pile and slipped her arms into a pair of graceful purple butterfly wings. Saffa reached for Ramisse's old ice wings.

"What do you have for me?" Topaz asked eagerly.

"We have one pair left," Ramisse said, holding up the last pair of wings: a pair of glittering golden fairy wings.

"Ugh. I'm not wearing those girly wings," Topaz snapped, turning away in disgust.

"Let me put it this way," Calythé growled at him. "If you value your internal organs you will wear those wings!"

"Fine," Topaz grumbled as he slipped the wings over his shoulders.

Saffa pulled Emi aside. "Did you hear what she said?"

"She doesn't believe in us anymore," Emi spat. "I think we should show her we can be believed in. For Embrea."

"For Embrea," Saffa echoed, touching the tip of his staff to hers with a slight _click_.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Monavelle peeked outside. "It's a war zone out there. It looks like Cthulhu got every single darn thing at his disposal."

Ramisse looked out. "Pirates, goblins, snowmen," she said, ticking things off on her fingers. "The Twins, the Destroyer, Skeletron Prime, a Golem - is that Plantera?"

"I'm going out there," Monavelle said, her face hard and her mouth a grim line.

"You sure you can handle it out there?" Ramisse asked, concerned.

Monavelle's face broke into a smile. "Of course, Rae. Heck, I'm the Bow. There's nothing I can't handle."

"Except maybe seeing a spider in the tree house," Ramisse muttered under her breath.

"I heard that," Monavelle snapped.

"Go if you want, but I'm coming with you," Ramisse said. "I didn't spend days in the forges for nothing."

"Good luck, sis," Monavelle said affectionately.

They pushed open the doors and emerged into the war zone.

_Later..._

"Hey! Over here!" Monavelle shouted. "Yoo-hoo, you! I got arrows for ya!" She started firing arrows from her crossbow, dodging, turning flips in the air and firing upside down. The arrows streaked past the metal guardians and struck the writhing dark mass in the middle. The sound of booming laughter echoed through the forest as she shot.

"Show-off girl, I'm going to wait to kill you until I've taken over Terraria. You'll make an excellent court jester!" Cthulhu laughed. "Besides, your arrows aren't doing anything to me."

"Then maybe THIS will!" Ramisse screamed from behind Cthulhu. She held the Blade of Terra in one hand and her spear in the other, and in one movement she flicked the green beam from the sword, thrust the spear and rammed headfirst into the dark mass. As she backed away, puffs of steam emanating from her wings, golden ichor-like blood started leaking from the mass. However, as they watched, the cut sealed itself, the ichor evaporated, and Cthulhu laughed with delight. "That tickles! Do it again!"

"This isn't a game, Cthulhu. Either surrender now or suffer ignominious defeat!" Ramisse shouted, spear held high.

"What does 'ignominious' mean?" Monavelle whispered to Ramisse.

"It means 'shameful,'" Ramisse whispered back.

Cthulhu stopped laughing. "You misunderstand, you pathetic fools. I can only be killed by the emerald and sapphire!"

"Then we'll do all we can to make it easy for them," came a voice from the chimney. Calythé, covered from head to toe in black soot, was rising slowly from the flue, followed by Thunder. Calythé turned to Thunder and nodded her head. He touched down on the chimney, then leapt up from the edge and screamed, "EMBREA!" at the top of his lungs, shooting rainbows and summoning clouds of rain. Calythé followed, screaming, "TERRARIA!" and flinging blue notes in all directions from her harp. In midair, she whipped out her shadowbeam staff and shot focused beams of dark energy at the writhing mass. To her dismay, however, the beams simply ricocheted away from Cthulhu. Though they did strike the guardians and reduce some of them to scrap metal, the god in the center was unscathed.

A horrid yell of "PURPLE!" sounded from the chimney, and Ametha and Topaz shot out of the flue looking thoroughly maddened. They leveled their staves and muttered an incantation in unison, and suddenly two large flames, one purple and one yellow, erupted from the rods and twisted together to become an enormous gold-and-violet dragon. It let out a blood-curdling roar and launched itself at Cthulhu, breathing sparkling metallic flame. The flame raked over Cthulhu's minions, melting the remaining ones, but when it reached Cthulhu, it simply flew around him as if he were wearing a flameproof cloak. Cthulhu chuckled and reached out a tendril of darkness. It grasped the dragon around the neck and the dragon let out a small, strangled squawking noise.

Cthulhu laughed delightedly. "What a lovely pet. Shame it has to die."

Ametha screamed with rage and threw her magic dagger. It lodged in Cthulhu's chest, opening a deep gash in the darkness. Cthulhu's chest cavity swung open with a _creeeeak_, revealing a pulsating black organ, webbed with red veins, that could only be his heart.

Ametha turned to Topaz. "We need Emi and Saffa. Now."

Topaz jumped back into the chimney and sprinted to Emi's quarters. She and Saffa were sitting dejectedly on her cot.

"What's wrong, guys? We need you out there!" Topaz wheedled.

"Calythé doesn't believe in us," Saffa muttered, looking at his feet.

"Yes, she does. You should see her out there. She and Thunder are out there fighting for you."

"Are not," Emi countered. "After all, we're 'only children.'"

At that moment, Cthulhu screeched triumphantly, "HA! You may have exposed my heart, but without the emerald and sapphire I am invincible, and Terraria will be mine at dawn!"

"Oh, that tears it. As mad as I am, I can't let this guy take over." Emi glanced at Saffa. "Ready?"

"Please. We've got it in for this guy. Let's kick some butt," Saffa said amiably, standing up from the cot. The three engaged their wings and flew out the chimney.

Cthulhu laughed with delight as Emi and Saffa emerged from the chimney. "These are the emerald and sapphire? Why, they're mere morsels! Awww, how cute!" A tendril of shadow reached out and slashed Emi across her cheek, drawing blood.

Emi's eyes narrowed and a look of murder came upon her face. "Playtime's over, Cthulhu," she shouted, green energy snapping around her body. The green bolts expanded, swathing Emi in a globe of green light and lifting her off the ground. She touched her staff to Saffa's, and a similar dark blue globe sizzled into place around his body. Saffa and Emi touched their staves together at the very tips and slowly drew them apart. A thin beam of blue-green energy connected the staves. Emi checked her watch. Two minutes to dawn. They had no time to lose.

"You're too late, kiddies! Terraria will be mine, and you shall all perish!" Cthulhu screamed, but instead of delight and triumph, there was now fear in his voice.

Emi focused her energy into the thin electric beam connecting her staff to Saffa's. Slowly a ball of green fire formed in the beam, but it wasn't enough. She used all the energy in her green energy shield, then all her mana power. Finally, Emi was drained. She dropped limply down to the edge of the roof. Saffa's staff was still connected to the beam and the ball of fire, so he focused his energy, making the ball even bigger. Emi scrambled to her feet.

"Saffa," she gasped in his ear, "we've got thirty seconds till dawn. You know what to do."

"My years on the Terraria Boys' Volleyball team will not be in vain," he whispered back. Cthulhu started to laugh with triumph just as Saffa threw the fireball in the air, raised his arm over his head, and spiked it with all the force, anger, and deadly precision in his small body.

"HA! HA! HUH?! NOOOO!" And the ball of fire slammed into Cthulhu's heart. Within seconds the blue-green flame spread over the mass of darkness, consuming it and reducing it to ashes. Saffa and Emi collapsed into each others' arms just as the sun peeked over the horizon, lighting up the deep, black crater that had once been Cthulhu.


	23. Epilogue

Epilogue

Emi didn't remember much of what happened next, only being carried to the infirmary by a pair of strong arms and looking up into a pink-flecked gold eye. However, she did remember waking up in a bed next to Saffa. She was lying in a bed across from the unclaimed girl.

The girl's eyes were open. She was awake. Her eyes were wide and curious.

"Glad to see you're awake, kid," Emi said gently, getting down from the bed. She immediately felt woozy and almost fell over. She was caught by a pair of familiar arms. Emi swiveled her head and looked up into a familiar face.

"Whoa, Emi, you're in no condition to walk on your own now. Being drained like that is bad for you."

"Thunder," she breathed. "Did we win?"

"Cthulhu's just a crater now," he replied.

In the next bed, Saffa tumbled out, tried to stand, and toppled over onto his stomach. Ametha, sitting nearby, lifted him up onto her back and carried him piggyback out of the room.

The little girl sighed. "Look, I don't know who you people are. I don't even know who I am."

"That's fine," said a familiar voice at the door. Calythé strode in, grinning. "That happened to me once."

"You know, maybe I can find out who I am. I'm going to go out into the world," the girl announced, jumping out of the bed and walking unassisted into the entrance hall. Emi, leaning heavily on Thunder, followed her.

"Wait!" Saffa cried weakly. "Won't you stay?"

"I'm sorry. I need to find my purpose," the girl said. "Thank you for saving me." With that, the girl touched the doorknob. Suddenly a giant ruby appeared over her head. Her muddy gray hair and eyes turned sparkling red. Then her robe shimmered from purple to scarlet. Finally a pair of flaming wings sprouted from her shoulder blades, and there stood a miniature version of Embrea, looking thoroughly bewildered.

Thunder handed Emi to Calythé and addressed the little girl. "I know who you are. You are the one who was prophecied to come. The Rebirth of the Ageless One. Hail, Renata Embrea Fireborn, She Who Rose from the Ashes."

The hall erupted into cheers. Ametha dropped Saffa and screamed with delight. Emi gave Thunder a big, warm hug. Saffa stood up, walked over to Renata and kissed her entirely by mistake. Calythé started to cry.

Suddenly Ramisse barged in from the room. "I found the last page of Embrea's will in the bed!" she cried, holding up a small piece of paper.

"Read it," Calythé ordered.

"It says: 'Finally, to Thunder Zevulon, I leave my duties as headmistress of the Guild.'"

Everyone cheered again. Thunder stood atop a table and said, "Who wants to hear my first order as headmaster?"

Everyone quieted down. Thunder was silent for several seconds, then he pumped his fist in the air and bellowed, "We need a FEAST!" The hall exploded in cheers.

_Later..._

Thunder gently took Emi by the arm and led her outside, away from the tumult of feast preparation. They crossed the garden to a low stone wall. Thunder helped Emi over the wall and sat next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I thought you were very brave," she whispered in his ear.

"You were braver," Thunder murmured back. "You're one of the reasons this is still here." He gestured with his arm at the peaceful forest below them; bunnies and slimes hopped peaceably through the grass and trees.

Suddenly he shouldered her off. "I have something to show you," he said, reaching to his eye patch. Thunder took the patch with four fingers and gently lifted it off, and Emi looked into Thunder's right eye for the first time. What Emi saw amazed her. She did not see scratches, an empty socket, or even another eye. She saw - everything. Everything that ever was, ever had been and ever would be. She even saw herself looking into Thunder's eye.

"Put the patch back on," she said, frightened. "I liked you better with the patch."

Thunder lowered the patch. "I traded my eye for ultimate knowledge. That's what you saw. I know everything and see all."

"So, why do you have the patch?"

"It saves me a lot of headaches. Plus, it looks cool."

"I certainly think so," Emi giggled, and at that moment he leaned over and kissed her.

When their lips parted, Emi said shyly, "I've always had a huge crush on you."

"I know," he said warmly, tapping his eye patch. "I've always known."

Above them, the clouds threatened rain and the heavens broke in two. Great cascades of water poured out of the sky, drenching Thunder and Emi to the skin in seconds. Emi's peppy green pigtails were plastered flat to the sides of her head and Thunder's creamy blond hair fell into his eye, making him look like a wet cyclops. The two lovers looked at each other and laughed, and Thunder swept the laughing Emi up in his arms and kissed her again as the warm rain sang around them. Saffa and Renata flew out of the chimney, holding hands and laughing. Topaz and Ametha walked out of the guild, arms flung wide to catch the rain, and the six magicians' love kept them warm for a long time.

MEANWHILE...

He descended the shaft into a large obsidian building, dimly lit by the lava all around him, and was escorted by demons to the large central chamber. There, writhing in agony, was a tremendous pile of putrid flesh that almost reached the ceiling. He smiled.

"Patience, my beautiful abomination," he said soothingly. "Your time will come soon." The pile of flesh's rheumy eyes blinked open and its mouth gaped, revealing long, dirty teeth. And it roared...

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2!


End file.
